Fences are well known in the art for providing security to property. Typically, a fence includes a series of posts set in ground, cement, a concrete slab, or the like, with a fencing infill material spanning between or across the posts. A common type of fencing infill material is chain link. A chain link fence, however, is easy to breach with wire cutters. For example, if one wire of a chain link fence is cut, the integrity of the whole fence is compromised, since chain link is a continuous piece of fabric. It may be appreciated that cutting a wire of chain link fence is analogous to cutting a link of chain, wherein the tension on the complete fence or chain is lost. Once the wire is cut, an opening in the fence may then be readily formed through which a person may readily pass with appropriated goods.
Fencing infill material that is heavier and less susceptible to the aforementioned drawbacks of chain link, such as heavy gauge wire mesh, is also available. However, such heavier fencing material is only manufactured in standard widths, and thus requires that fence posts be spaced apart at very precise intervals, to match the width of the fencing material, so that the heavier fencing material will properly span between the posts. This problem is particularly acute when one fencing material (e.g., chain link) that has been hung between posts spaced at certain intervals is to be replaced with fencing infill material (e.g., heavy gauge wire mesh) that requires different and more precise post spacing intervals. In such cases, the old posts, which are typically embedded in cement or a concrete slab, must be removed and new posts must be installed (requiring core drilling in concrete slabs) at precise spacing intervals. Once new posts are set at proper spacing intervals, fencing material must be manufactured into panels by putting a frame, such as angle iron, around them. The fabricated panels are preferably also galvanized to prevent rust. The fabricated panels of fencing infill material are then installed individually between the posts.
Another fencing infill material that has been used to construct fences which are less susceptible to the aforementioned drawbacks of chain link is expanded metal, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,557 and 5,556,080 to Vise. However, in addition to the many of the drawbacks mentioned above, expanded metal typically includes sharp edges which is prone to cut people, thereby creating a potential liability for users of expanded metal. Because expanded metal must be overlapped at joints, as indicated in the Vise patents, the potential for there to be sharp edges which could cut people, and thus increase potential liability, is increased even further.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method for incorporating any standard sheeted fencing (infill) material into a secure fence with posts spaced apart by non-standard intervals. Such system and method should, among other things, accommodate posts of virtually any size, cross-section, and spacing. Still further, such system and method should preferably be easy to install, not require fabrication of a frame for panels of fencing material, and therefore, no post-fabrication galvanization, and should preferably also be aesthetically appealing and not have sharp edges which are prone to cut people.